Not for the squeamish

We profiled the new field of NOTES (natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery) in ACP Hospitalist a while back. Diseased gallbladders, kidneys and the like were being taken out through mouths, vaginas and other pre-existing holes in the body. Now surgeons at Johns Hopkins have made a great leap forward, removing a kidney from a donor through her vagina and implanting it in her niece. How'd it go? "Easier than childbirth," the donor told the Washington Post. Reportedly, the next expected advance in the field will be to remove usable organs through the rectum. We don't want to know what donors will compare that experience to.

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ACP Internist
provides news and information for internists about the practice of medicine and reports on the policies, products and activities of ACP. All published material, which is covered by copyright, represents the views of the contributor and does not reflect the opinion of the American College of Physicians or any other institution unless clearly stated.